The invention relates to a supporting device for a closed flap of a vehicle, particularly a tailgate of a motor vehicle, having a bearing part arranged at the flap or at a wall area of the vehicle body adjacent to the closed flap, which bearing part can be adjusted in its position before its fastening.
In European Patent Document EP 0 892 140 A1, such a supporting device forms a stop buffer, particularly for a hood- or hatch-type body part of a vehicle. So that the axial position of the buffer head of the stop buffer as well as a pretensioning will be easy to adjust, the stop buffer has a device for the self-adaptation of the buffer head and a fixing device for the subsequent fixing of the buffer head. The device for the self-adaptation has, for example, an expansion sleeve which, when it is not expanded, during the closing of the hood- or hatch-type vehicle body part, permits an automatic axial adjusting of the buffer head. For the subsequent axial fixing of the buffer head, the expansion sleeve is expanded by way of an axially screwed-in screw. A pretensioning between the buffer head and the hood- or hatch-type vehicle body part is achieved by way of a stop part with a thickness corresponding to the desired pretensioning, which stop part, after the axial adjusting of the buffer head, is connected either with the buffer head or with a component arranged opposite the buffer head. During the mounting of the stop part by a worker, the stop part would have to be gripped by one hand and have to be guided in a position that is as precise as possible to a mounting opening. Probably, the worker would then have to use his other hand and possibly a tool for bringing the stop part into an installation position, which is limited by a stop, into the mounting opening. During this mounting operation, the buffer head and its fastening element as well as the stop part then have to be guided in a coordinated manner to the mounting site and be made available to a worker who would then need both hands for the mounting of the stop buffer. The expansion sleeve, the buffer head and/or the stop part cannot be mounted (or not immediately be mounted), possibly because of component tolerances, whereby troublesome delays could occur in the mounting process.
It is an object of the invention to provide a supporting device for a closed flap of a vehicle, particularly a tailgate of a motor vehicle, which permits an easy manual or automated mounting as well as a versatile use of the supporting device.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a supporting device for a closed flap of a vehicle. The supporting part has a bearing part at the flap or at a wall area of the vehicle body adjacent to the closed flap, which bearing part can be adjusted in its position before its fastening. In a premounting position, a clamping element is frictionally or form-fittingly adjustably connected with the bearing part such that, after the fastening of the bearing part previously adjusted in its position, the clamping element can be adjusted by an applied force from the premounting position into a clamping position limited by a stop. In the clamping position, the clamping element is frictionally and/or form-fittingly held at the bearing part and, at least indirectly, under a pretensioning force, rests against the flap or the wall area.
After the clamping element has already been connected with the bearing part in a premounting position, these parts can be premounted, for example as a constructional unit, on the vehicle or at a premounting site, and do not have to be provided individually for a final mounting. During the closing of the flap, which may, for example, be a door or a hood or rear hatch of a vehicle, particularly of a motor vehicle, the bearing part is adjusted into its final mounting position and the clamping element is adjusted into a predefined premounting position, in which, after a fastening of the bearing part, the clamping element only has to be adjusted by sufficient applied force into a final clamping position limited by a stop. When access is sufficient, the application of force can take place while the flap is closed or after the opening of the flap. K in the latter case, the bearing part is loaded by a pretensioned spring element into such a position that, during the closing, the flap can adjust the bearing part against the pretensioning force of the spring element into the final mounting position, it only has to be ensured that, during the subsequent opening of the flap, when the bearing part has not yet been fastened, the bearing part cannot be automatically adjusted by the pretensioning force of the spring element back into a position that relaxes the spring element. This can, for example, be prevented by way of a simple frictionally and/or form-fittingly acting detent device. The bearing part can, for example, be detachably fastened to a supporting element fixedly or detachably connected with the vehicle body and can be adjusted in its position in at least one direction before a fastening. In this case, the spring element can, for example, in each case, support itself at least indirectly, on one side at the supporting element and on the other side at the bearing part.
A mounting of the supporting device can be manually or automatically or mechanically assisted. The mounting expenditures for the supporting device are low and simplified, so that malfunctions should not or should rarely occur. The supporting device can be used for lateral support without play as well as for support without play in the closing direction of the respective closed flap.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.